President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought to reassure members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the United States remains committed to the alliance, even as his administration’s renewed push to acquire Greenland sparked a diplomatic firestorm and threats of a historic rupture.
Speaking to reporters following a policy retreat in Washington, Trump insisted the United States would “be there” for its partners, despite escalating rhetoric from the White House regarding the strategic Arctic territory.
”The United States will be there for NATO,” Trump said, though he quickly pivoted to his long-standing grievances regarding defense spending. “But our allies must also understand that the world has changed. We need Greenland for national security reasons. Denmark will not be able to handle the task.”
The president’s comments follow a week of high-stakes tension after the White House refused to rule out the use of military force to take control of the island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
‘Always an option’
The latest friction was ignited Tuesday when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the administration is discussing a “range of options” to secure the island.
”President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”
The administration argues that Greenland, which is rich in untapped critical minerals and situated along emerging polar shipping routes, is increasingly “covered with Russian and Chinese ships.”
Existential crisis
The suggestion of military intervention against a NATO ally has sent shockwaves through European capitals. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a sharp rebuke, warning that any attempt by the U.S. to annex the territory would effectively dismantle the 77-year-old defense pact.
”You cannot go in and take over part of another country’s territory,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster DR. “If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country, everything will stop.”
In a rare show of unified defiance, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Canada issued a joint statement Tuesday asserting that “Greenland belongs to its people” and urging Washington to respect Danish sovereignty.
Diplomacy or deal-making?
Despite the saber-rattling, some administration officials have signaled a preference for a financial transaction over a military one. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a private briefing Monday that the White House would prefer to buy the island from Denmark, echoing an offer first floated during Trump’s first term.
”That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning,” Rubio told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he plans to meet with Danish officials next week. “He’s not the first U.S. president that has examined how we could acquire Greenland.”
However, local sentiment remains overwhelmingly hostile to the idea. A recent poll conducted in the territory found that 85 percent of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants oppose becoming part of the United States.
”Greenland is not for sale,” the island’s government said in a brief statement, reiterating a position it has held since 2019.
As the standoff continues, analysts warn that the dispute represents the most significant internal threat to NATO since its founding in 1949. Trump, however, appears undeterred, suggesting he would revisit the matter “in about 20 days” once the geopolitical situation in South America stabilizes.
